Analysis Security guru Bruce Schneier has joined with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and 23 other privacy and digital rights activists to call on antivirus firms to publicly state they do not turn a blind eye towards state-sponsored malware.

Antivirus vendors have been given until 15 November to go on the record about detection of state-sponsored malware, with early indictions pointing towards a somewhat weary "of course we detect it" response.

 

Meanwhile neutral observers of the security software market point out there's no need for spy agencies to ask for their malware to be whitelisted by vendors because defences aren't that strong in the first place.

An open letter (PDF) to the industry from Schneier et al follows recent revelations that the NSA uses malware and exploits to track users of the Tor anonymity service or otherwise monitor the communications of surveillance targets.